US6773402B2 — Location sensing with real-time ultrasound imaging

Claim 1

Independent Claim 201 words

Apparatus for mapping a surface of a cavity within a body of a subject, comprising: an elongate probe, having a longitudinal axis and comprising a distal portion adapted for insertion into the cavity; a primary acoustic transducer on the distal portion of the probe, adapted to emit acoustic waves while the probe is in the cavity; a plurality of secondary acoustic transducers, distributed along the longitudinal axis over the distal portion of the probe, which are adapted to receive the acoustic waves after reflection of the waves from the surface of the cavity and to generate, responsive to the received waves, electrical signals indicative of times of flight of the waves; and control circuitry, adapted to receive and to process the electrical signals generated by the secondary acoustic transducers so as to reconstruct a three-dimensional shape of the surface of the cavity based on the times of flight, wherein the circuitry is operative to distinguish the signals generated responsive to the waves that have undergone one reflection from the surface of the cavity from the signals generated responsive to the waves that have undergone multiple reflections, and to reject the signals due to the waves that have undergone the multiple reflections.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 201 words

Apparatus for mapping a surface of a cavity within a body of a subject, comprising: an elongate probe, having a longitudinal axis and comprising a distal portion adapted for insertion into the cavity; a primary acoustic transducer on the distal portion of the probe, adapted to emit acoustic waves while the probe is in the cavity; a plurality of secondary acoustic transducers, distributed along the longitudinal axis over the distal portion of the probe, which are adapted to receive the acoustic waves after reflection of the waves from the surface of the cavity and to generate, responsive to the received waves, electrical signals indicative of times of flight of the waves; and control circuitry, adapted to receive and to process the electrical signals generated by the secondary acoustic transducers so as to reconstruct a three-dimensional shape of the surface of the cavity based on the times of flight, wherein the circuitry is operative to distinguish the signals generated responsive to the waves that have undergone one reflection from the surface of the cavity from the signals generated responsive to the waves that have undergone multiple reflections, and to reject the signals due to the waves that have undergone the multiple reflections.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 29 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises apparatus for mapping a chamber of the heart of the subject, and wherein the probe comprises an intracardiac catheter.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 17 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the primary acoustic transducer comprises a phased array ultrasound transducer.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 21 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the primary acoustic transducer comprises an ultrasound transducer configured only for non-phased array operation.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 20 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary acoustic transducers comprise ultrasound transducers configured only for non-phased array operation.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 33 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the probe comprises at least one position sensor, which is adapted to generate a position signal indicative of position coordinates of the probe within the body.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 50 words

Apparatus according to claim 6 , and comprising control circuitry, adapted to process the electrical signals generated by the secondary acoustic transducers responsive to the position signal, so as to reconstruct a three-dimensional shape of the surface of the cavity based on the times of flight and the position signal.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 31 words

Apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the position sensor comprises a coil, and wherein the position signal comprises an electrical current induced in the coil by an externally-applied magnetic field.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 19 words

Apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one position sensor comprises a plurality of position sensors.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 106 words

Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein one of the plurality of position sensors is disposed on the probe near a first subset of the secondary acoustic transducers, and wherein another one of the plurality of position sensors is disposed on the probe near a second subset of the secondary acoustic transducers, and wherein the apparatus comprises control circuitry, adapted to process the electrical signals generated by the secondary acoustic transducers responsive to position signals generated by the first and second position sensors, so as to reconstruct a three-dimensional shape of the surface of the cavity based on the times of flight and the position signals.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 46 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein responsive to the times of flight, the circuitry is adapted to determine distances from the secondary acoustic transducers to respective points on the surface of the cavity, and to combine the determined distances so as to reconstruct the shape.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 41 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is adapted to detect a spectral shift in the acoustic waves received by the secondary acoustic transducers and to determine, responsive to the spectral shift, a velocity of motion of the surface.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 24 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 , and comprising a display, which is driven by the circuitry to display an image of the three-dimensional shape.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 97 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the primary acoustic transducer is adapted to emit a plurality of bursts of acoustic waves from a respective plurality of dispositions within the cavity, wherein the secondary acoustic transducers are adapted to receive the bursts of acoustic waves after reflection of the bursts from the surface of the cavity, and to generate, responsive to the received bursts, electrical signals indicative of times of flights of the bursts, and wherein the circuitry is adapted to reconstruct the three-dimensional shape of the surface based on the times of flight of the bursts.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 27 words

Apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the primary acoustic transducer is adapted to be moved through the plurality of dispositions by a user of the apparatus.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 68 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cavity has a wall, and the surface comprises an inner surface of the wall and an outer surface of the wall, and wherein the circuitry is adapted to distinguish the signals generated responsive to the waves that have been reflected from the inner surface from the signals generated responsive to the waves that have been reflected from the outer surface.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 45 words

Apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the circuitry is operative to determine a thickness of the wall responsive to the signals generated by the waves that have been reflected from the inner surface and the waves that have been reflected from the outer surface.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 64 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 , and comprising one or more electrodes disposed on the distal portion of the probe, which are adapted to convey electrical signals to the circuitry responsive to electrical activity in the cavity, wherein the circuitry is adapted, responsive to the signals from the electrodes, to superimpose an indication of the electrical activity on the three-dimensional shape of the surface.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 35 words

Apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the indication of the electrical activity comprises a map of electrical potentials at the surface of the cavity, which is registered with the three-dimensional shape of the surface.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 70 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 , and comprising a plurality of reference transducers outside the body, which are adapted to transmit acoustic waves into the body, such that the waves are received by the secondary acoustic transducers on the probe, causing the secondary acoustic transducers to generate electrical reference signals, and wherein the circuitry is adapted to process the reference signals so as to determine position coordinates of the probe.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 28 words

Apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein responsive to the determined position coordinates, the circuitry is adapted to define a position of the three-dimensional shape within the body.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 30 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 , and comprising one or more electrodes disposed on the distal portion of the probe, which are adapted to detect electrical activity in the cavity.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 24 words

Apparatus according claim 22 , wherein the one or more electrodes are adapted to detect varying electrical potentials at the surface of the cavity.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 37 words

Apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the one or more electrodes comprise an array of non-contact electrodes, which are adapted to detect the varying electrical potentials at the surface, substantially without making contact with the surface.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 174 words

A method for mapping a surface of a cavity within a body of a subject, comprising: inserting a probe into the cavity, the probe having a longitudinal axis; emitting acoustic waves within the cavity from a primary point on the probe; receiving the acoustic waves at each of a plurality of secondary points distributed along the longitudinal axis of the probe, following reflection of the emitted waves from the surface of the cavity; analyzing the received waves to determine times of flight of the waves; reconstructing a three-dimensional shape of the surface of the cavity based on the determined times of flight, by determining, responsive to the times of flight, distances from the secondary points to corresponding points on the surface of the cavity generally opposite the secondary points, and combining the determined distances so as to reconstruct the shape, and distinguishing the waves received at the secondary points after one reflection from the surface of the cavity from the waves received after multiple reflections, and rejecting the waves received after the multiple reflections.

Claim 27

Independent Claim 174 words

A method for mapping a surface of a cavity within a body of a subject, comprising: inserting a probe into the cavity, the probe having a longitudinal axis; emitting acoustic waves within the cavity from a primary point on the probe; receiving the acoustic waves at each of a plurality of secondary points distributed along the longitudinal axis of the probe, following reflection of the emitted waves from the surface of the cavity; analyzing the received waves to determine times of flight of the waves; reconstructing a three-dimensional shape of the surface of the cavity based on the determined times of flight, by determining, responsive to the times of flight, distances from the secondary points to corresponding points on the surface of the cavity generally opposite the secondary points, and combining the determined distances so as to reconstruct the shape, and distinguishing the waves received at the secondary points after one reflection from the surface of the cavity from the waves received after multiple reflections, and rejecting the waves received after the multiple reflections.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 21 words

A method according to claim 25 , wherein emitting the acoustic waves comprises emitting the waves in a phased array mode.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 21 words

A method according to claim 25 , wherein emitting the acoustic waves comprises emitting the waves in a non-phased array mode.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 26 words

A method according to claim 25 , wherein receiving the acoustic waves at the secondary points comprises receiving the acoustic waves by non-phased array ultrasound transducers.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 28 words

A method according to claim 25 , wherein inserting the probe into the cavity comprises inserting an intracardiac catheter into a chamber of the heart of the subject.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 54 words

A method according to claim 25 , wherein emitting and receiving the waves comprise emitting and receiving the waves while the probe is held substantially stationary at a single location in the cavity, and wherein reconstructing the three-dimensional shape comprises reconstructing the shape based substantially only on the waves received at the single location.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method according to claim 25 , and comprising determining position coordinates of the probe inside the body, wherein reconstructing the three-dimensional shape comprises reconstructing the shape responsive to the coordinates.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method according to claim 31 , wherein reconstructing the shape comprises defining a position of the shape inside the body using the coordinates.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 60 words

A method according to claim 31 , wherein emitting and receiving the waves comprise emitting and receiving the waves at a plurality of different locations of the probe in the cavity, and wherein reconstructing the shape comprises reconstructing the shape based on the waves received at the different locations, using the coordinates of the probe determined at the different locations.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 56 words

A method according to claim 31 , wherein determining the position coordinates comprises transmitting and receiving reference acoustic waves between reference points outside the body and the points on the probe, and analyzing the received reference waves to find distances between the reference points and the points on the probe, thus to determine the position coordinates.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 23 words

A method according to claim 31 , wherein determining the position coordinates comprises determining the coordinates using a position sensor in the probe.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method according to claim 35 , wherein determining the coordinates comprises detecting electrical current induced in a coil of the probe by an externally-applied magnetic field.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 60 words

A method according to claim 25 , wherein the cavity has a wall, and the surface comprises an inner surface of the wall and an outer surface of the wall, and wherein determining the distances comprises distinguishing the waves received at the secondary points after reflection from the inner surface from the waves received after reflection from the outer surface.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 46 words

A method according to claim 37 , wherein reconstructing the shape comprises determining a thickness of the wall by comparing the times of flight of the waves received after reflection from the inner surface to those of the waves received after reflection from the outer surface.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 35 words

A method according to claim 25 , and comprising analyzing the received waves to detect a spectral shift therein, so as to determine, responsive to the spectral shift, a velocity of motion of the surface.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method according to claim 39 , wherein reconstructing the shape comprises generating a map of the cavity that includes an indication of the velocity of motion of different areas of the surface.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 21 words

A method according to claim 25 , and comprising sensing electrical activity in the cavity using electrical sensors on the probe.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 36 words

A method according to claim 41 , wherein sensing the electrical activity comprises detecting varying electrical potentials at the surface of the cavity substantially without contact between the electrical sensors on the probe and the surface.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method according to claim 41 , wherein reconstructing the shape comprises superimposing an indication of the electrical activity on the reconstructed three-dimensional shape of the surface.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 39 words

A method according to claim 43 , wherein superimposing the indication of the electrical activity comprises generating a map of electrical potentials at the surface of the cavity, and registering the map with the three-dimensional shape of the surface.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2007-08-10	2008-02-09	2008-08-10	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2011-08-10	2012-02-09	2012-08-10	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2015-08-10	2016-02-09	2016-08-10	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Location sensing with real-time ultrasound imaging

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag